Cecil Skotnes: A Private View

Location: South African National Gallery

From:
April 17, 2008
To:
July 8, 2008

Cecil Skotnes is an icon of the South African art world. Admired for his painting, he is well known for his pioneering role in art education in South Africa and for his part in the Amadlozi group that sought to work at the intersection of African and European art. His Johannesburg home was for many decades an ‘open house’ and it became a hub for artists of all generations and from many parts of the city and, indeed, the world. In Cape Town, this spirit of creative hospitality continued. His work has encompassed many media; most recognisably the large coloured wood-panels that grew out of the making of blocks for relief printing, but also portfolios of prints, murals and public commissions, oil paintings, ceramics, tapestries and sculpture.

This exhibition focuses on the more intimate work that is part of Cecil Skotnes’ extensive production – the drawings and cartoons, the watercolours, the prints and the works on paper. They offer an insight into the creative community he was part of, and the way in which he researched his subjects, constructed his own world and helped shape a vibrant period in South African art history. The exhibition includes letters and documents collected over five decades, objects and personal memorabilia, as well as a collection of objects from his home and his studio.